Starting Fast
November 18th, 2014
Danny Lansanah and Will Gholston celebrate an interception that helped the Bucs jump out to an early lead against the Redskins. (Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com)
Few football teams — save Florida State, which has a loaded roster and a once-in-a-lifetime-quarterback — can cough up two- or three-score deficits in the first half and regularly rally to win.
But when the Bucs jumped out to a strong lead against the Redskins, not only did that surprise Andrew Astleford of Fox Sports Florida, but he dared to hint such a pattern could mean big things for the Bucs.
3. That was the Bucs’ best first half of the season.
This game was won before halftime. The Bucs forced three turnovers. They sacked Griffin three times. Smith’s defense attacked. It was opportunistic.
Truth be told, the Bucs should have led by more than 13-0 midway through the second quarter. Both field-goal drives could have ended in touchdowns.
Still, credit Tampa Bay for this breath of fresh air. Sure, a five-play, 79-yard touchdown drive by Washington to close the second quarter was disappointing. But overall, that first half was impressive.
You get off to a strong first half, unless a team has a complete and total sieve of a defense, and it usually means good things. Like wins.
Coaches salivate when a team turns an opponent one-dimensional. Getting a big lead early lead.
That first half lead felt good for a change, huh?
To hear linebacker Danny Lansanah discuss his early pick of Robert Griffin III, click the arrow below. Audio courtesy of Joe’s friends at WDAE-AM 620.
November 18th, 2014 at 5:55 pm
Would it be possible for us to get a single post that doesn’t reference future first-round bust Jameis Winston?
November 18th, 2014 at 5:56 pm
Isn’t that they way any competitor..approaches EVERY contest…were the F%#* was that spirit the first 8 games…and OH..the easy pickings preseason..when a team with a new head coach and staff…should have come out of the starting blocks guns a blazing !!!!!!….BS spin article…
November 18th, 2014 at 6:21 pm
The offense did not do that well in the first half last week, so either something happened to the play calling or Washington let down, from what ME13 said they started to call their own plays, so who knows, but next week will tell.
November 18th, 2014 at 6:28 pm
“a once-in-a-lifetime-quarterback”
____________________
Joe touts a “once in a lifetime QB” in every draft.
November 18th, 2014 at 6:44 pm
lol @ lightningbuc.
He does have a fetish doesn’t he?
November 18th, 2014 at 6:50 pm
Joe gets QB ga ga for a reason that none of you seem to understand. Once again I’ll repeat. NEVER had a franchise QB in Tampa. Never.
November 18th, 2014 at 6:59 pm
@Joe
Your killing me with the Winston references and puns. When Kevin Hart feels the need to tell Winston to stop doing stupid sh*t. Enough said. Winston will be bust with his first team. Maybe he pans out for the second team.
November 18th, 2014 at 7:06 pm
I believe Steve Young was a franchise QB in Tampa, they just didn’t know one when that had one.
November 18th, 2014 at 7:12 pm
this team is like a red hot psycho lover….after one win and all the weeks of disappointment and drama…I’m not anywhere near saying anything other than…well fill in your own blanks
November 18th, 2014 at 7:24 pm
Correction, never KEPT a franchise QB in Tampa. Drafted and traded for MANY first-round ‘franchise’ QBs, but the ones who ended up being ‘franchise’ QBs, did so on other teams. It’s a crap-shoot, and some teams don’t/can’t wait for the player to ‘mature’ into the position. For some it takes longer than others to get used to all the different defensive ‘looks’ and the speed at the pro level.
November 18th, 2014 at 8:38 pm
Lots of talk.. Lots of concessions..
For an unproven qb that is -oh by the way, a lunatic.
Just win!! Be a winning org
November 18th, 2014 at 9:26 pm
It is entertaining though.
I thought he would be too hurt by Johnny to love again this soon.
November 19th, 2014 at 12:11 am
OB said:
“I believe Steve Young was a franchise QB in Tampa, they just didn’t know one when that had one.”
I have to disagree, remember the owner back then: the cheapest owner ever to grace the NFL: Hugh Culverhouse….. If he knew that Young would command huge coin that would give him the excuse to unload him to the Niners for that 2nd round pick they got…. I think he got traded because Culverhouse DID NOT want the burden of such a big contract dragging down his profits….
But down to brass tacks: I guess everyone who is not in the trench mob wants the Bucs to go back to losing so that the chances of landing Mariota or Winston are pretty much ensured with a top 3 pick; any more wins and that position could be threatened by the Titans or Jets who should also be looking for a qb as well as the Deadskins who are backing their way up the draft order…. For all the qb mobsters just remember: for every Luck there are Couch, D Russell and Cryin’ Leif! Just saying that its a 25 to 30% success rate when one drafts a qb that high, so let the buyer beware, especially if the O-line sucks as bad as the Bucs have most of the season or the way the Deadskins’ OL looked protecting their franchise qb who obviously gave away a lot of marquee picks to land their boy in 2012…..
November 19th, 2014 at 9:56 am
To those of you who keep knocking Jameis Winston, A GM of a team who clearly needs a play maker at QB and doesn’t draft Mariota or Winston if available then you should lose your job. Any player in the draft is always a crap shoot.